The Director-General of Shipping and Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Shipping, in exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (1) of Section 456 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 on the Central Government read with notification issued by Government of India vide S.O. No. 3144 dated 17th December, 1960 delegating the said power to him, is hereby pleased to issue the following amendment to the DG Shipping Order No 7 of 2002 and to further clarify as under:-

On page, 9, paragraph 14 (b), the sentence, "The last, namely, the 5th original, copy will be forwarded by the employer/employer's agent to the concerned Shipping Master for record at the earliest and in any case not later than 48 hours of seafarer signing off the agreement ashore in India in the office of the employer/employer's agent, excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays" is hereby amended as follows:

The last, namely, the 5th original, copy will be forwarded by the employer/employer's agent to the concerned Shipping Master for record at the earliest and, in any case, not later than 48 hours of seafarer signing on the agreement ashore in India in the office of the employer/employer's agent, excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Moreover, where the seafarers were signed on by opening the Articles of Agreement prior to the coming into force of DG Shipping Order No 7 of 2002  dated 3rd December 2002, they may comply with the old provisions of signing off on closing of these articles of agreement in the presence of the Shipping Master.

For all renewal of articles of agreement, the new form and procedure laid down in DGS Order No 7. shall strictly apply.